Yesterday I went to a big box store to carouse the end of season plant babies. They had a great selection of really cheap, large plants. I went with no intention of buying anything and I didn't. I am on a strict plant sabbatical. I simply have nowhere else in my home to put a plant. Not even anywhere creative. I have hit the proverbial plant baby wall. I still like to look though.

While at this unnamed  big box store I spied a very sad, very neglected Monstera Deliciosa. These are my favorite plants because dammit, they have personalities. I mean really. It is like the difference between a dog and a goldfish. They are just so cool. I could almost hear it begging me to take it home. Sadness. :(

I contemplated buying it anyway because my heart was breaking for it but I could not figure out anyway to smuggle it home unnoticed. I would be chidded for breaking my declared plant vacation and my weakness would be exposed. These plants are not called MONSTERAS for nothing. They are huge. They can easily grow to 10 ft or more in a healthy indoor setting. Plus I already have one. It is Mike "The Monster" Wazowski. I love him.

With a heavy heart, I grabbed a plastic planter off the shelf. I looked around to make sure no employees were looking, and I found the irrigation system. I checked the nozzle to make sure it worked and I got a blast of water on me.  I filled up the planter and watered the Monstera. A nice big puddle of water was running out the bottom like this one plant had taken a big leak or something. If noone saw me do it they know now. I was the only one in there looking at plants in the middle of winter at night.

Maybe it was my imagination or maybe the fact that I was all wet but the garden center lady looked at me really weird as I was leaving. It occured to me that they probably have cameras all over the joint. Oh well. If they were doing their job then I wouldn't have had to do it. I left there feeling sad but better and proceeded to question my sanity on the trip home. I still feel really bad about leaving it. If I knew anyone at all who would have liked to have it I would have bought it.


So.....

Anyone want a new plant baby that will grow to be a Goliath?

Here is a full size Monstera Deliciosa. Otherwise known as Swiss Cheese Plant





Isn't it lovely? The one we are talking about is a far cry from this photo.

Dance Like No One Is Watching

We convince ourselves that life will be better after we get married, have a baby, then another. Then we are frustrated that the kids aren't old enough and we'll be more content when they are. After that we're frustrated that we have teenagers to deal with. We will certainly be happy when they are out of that stage. We tell ourselves that our life will be complete when our spouse gets his or her act together, when we get a nicer car, are able to go on a nice vacation, when we retire.
The truth is, there's no better time to be happy than right now. If not now, when? Your life will always be filled with challenges. It's best to admit this to yourself and decide to be happy anyway. One of my favorite quotes comes from Alfred D Souza.
He said, "For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin - real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life."
This perspective has helped me to see that there is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way. So, treasure every moment that you have. And treasure it more because you shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your time...and remember that time waits for no one.
So stop waiting until you finish school, until you go back to school, until you lose ten pounds, until you gain ten pounds, until you have kids, until your kids leave the house, until you start work, until you retire, until you get married, until you get divorced, until Friday night, until Sunday morning, until you get a new car or home, until your car or home is paid off, until spring, until summer, until fall, until winter, until you are off welfare, until the first or fifteenth, until your song comes on, until you've had a drink, until you've sobered up, until you die, until you are born again to decide that there is no better time than right now to be happy...

Happiness is a journey, not a destination.

Thought for the day: "Work like you don't need money, Love like you've never been hurt, And dance like no one's watching."

Author Unknown

Okay. So I have this little problem. Electronics and me don't jive lately. I thoroughly destroy them. This wasn't always the case. When I was little I used to take apart cassette players, VCR's and random other gadgets and fix them. I was the one who other ladies would call to set up their new computers, surround sounds etc. I am still trying to figure out what went wrong. It started about two years ago. I noticed that light bulbs were suddenly burning out constantly around me. I would change them and a week later they would go again. The stove light, the two porch lights and the one in the bathroom were the worst. Soon after I noticed that whenever I would walk into a certain room in the house, the light would surge. Like it would suddenly get bright and then normal again. No one else was having this problem. Then it started to get annoying.

Cell phones - on my sixth in two years due to electrical issues,

Car - don't even get me started. It is possessed. Everything electric in the thing has gone crazy insane. Lights come of and on, electric components no longer work and the radio keeps shutting off and on. Now my battery keeps shorting out and I have to jump it every time I drive it and pray to god that my alternator holds up.

Computer- Okay now this one is becoming a household joke. Thing is, if I am pissed or tired. I simply can't get it to work. It freezes, times out, goes black etc. I can move it away from me or hand it to someone else and it starts to work again. Last night I was having a REALLY hard time with it. I decided to update my myspace status and no matter what I would do it simply would not work. I got white screen after white screen. I handed it to Josh and he was just laughing at me. He asked what I wanted him to write in my status for me. I just grumped "nemesis to all things electric!" He put it in with no problem and then started to surf on it laughing at me the whole time. Pissed I asked for it back and the moment it was in my hands, same thing.

Twice today while writing I have had to slide the computer away from me and reach across to finish and no it isn't the reception. Lol. I guess it is kinda funny but at the same time it isn't. It is really aggravating and all the teasing isn't helping.

Anyone out there know how to fix this kind of problem? I did some grounding to no avail and it seems this gets worse not better when I am really tired or relaxed. I have decided I am ditching the newer car I have and trading it in for an older model VW bus as soon as I practically can. Less stupid electronics and computers in it. Maybe I should invest in a nice abacus and start sending smoke signals. Damn.